The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot
Chapter 168: Start Of Her Downfall

Chapter 168: Start Of Her Downfall

Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock, her heart racing wildly as she guessed what must have happened. Having known Sophia and her twisted ways of getting rid of clues, she must have killed Annabelle herself.

"What happened?" Avery asked still a little confused as puzzles didn’t fit together.

Brianna sighed out loud, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Sophia convinced Elias that Annabelle was dead because of the fall. She manipulated the poor boy and made him run away. Then..." Taking a deep breath, "she lured me with money and we together took Annabelle to the terrace."

"And pushed her later," Evelyn continued, rage boiling in her veins.

Brianna immediately started to defended herself. "I swear I also thought Annabelle was already dead, Ma’am. I thought we were pushing a dead body but later Sophia revealed the truth to me." Gritting her teeth for falling for her lies, she added, "She then started threatening me too since I had become a criminal along with her by disposing unconscious Annabelle."

"That evil bitch!" Avery scoffed out loud, finding it too hard to digest. Sophia was too smart and cunning, ten steps ahead of all them that it had come to this point. She never left behind traces and it would be still hard to prove her as the real criminal.

"So, Elias doesn’t know any of it and believes he had killed Annabelle?" Lucius drew a conclusion. It was understandable why that young boy fell for her mother’s words, using Evelyn to cover a sin that he hadn’t even committed in the first place. He was disgusted about Sophia even more! This woman hadn’t even left her own son to wash the blood off her hands.

"It seems so since he is acting cold to you," Brianna replied, turning to Evelyn. She had observed how close the half siblings were even though Sophia tried her best to separate them. Annabelle’s death seemed like a perfect weapon as Evelyn would never be able to forgive Elias again.

Evelyn let out a shaky breath, her head spinning with all the thoughts. Her heart twisted painfully as she thought of Elias. Her younger brother had always been the one to light up her world, with his innocent laughter and warmth. She had cherished him like no other, only to now feel betrayed, used by him to cover his own sins.

Yet, how could she blame him when the real culprit was their mother, Sophia—a venomous manipulator who spared no one, not even her own blood?

Tears burned in Evelyn’s eyes as she clenched her fists. "Annabelle," she whispered, her voice trembling. The poor woman had been nothing but a pawn in Sophia’s despicable game, her life cruelly stolen along with her baby who was yet to see the world. Evelyn’s chest heaved with a mixture of sorrow and rage. Annabelle didn’t deserve this. No one did!

But in these whirlwinds of emotions, one thing was still a mystery. What secret had Elias been trying so desperately to protect? What could be so damning that he had chosen to side with Sophia over her? He thought she wasn’t trustworthy to share it? Rivana felt like she was drowning in unanswered questions, each one dragging her further into a storm of emotions.

"We will submit her to the court tomorrow," Lucius’s firm voice cut through her heavy thoughts. His words felt like a flicker of hope in the dark room, grounding her momentarily.

Zevian had already shared that he was a lawyer by profession, one who had rarely lost a criminal case. With his help, they could definitely force Sophia to face her sins. Evelyn looked up at Lucius, his confidence providing a glimmer of hope, a path to victory.

"I will send over the details. You can go through them once." Lucius added, mentioning about the hearing. "In the morning, we can practice once before leaving for the court."

Evelyn nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you."

Once everything was settled, Evelyn left the dungeon with Avery.

And as soon as they reached her house, Kiana’s excited squeal greeted her the moment she stepped inside the hall.

"Mommy!" The little girl rushed over to them, wrapping her arms around her waist. Evelyn squatted down and hugged her little bear tightly, letting her do her magic and wash away her worries momentarily.

"What took you both so long? I feel like I have been waiting for ages!" Kiana pouted, her innocent eyes shining brightly.

Evelyn smiled softly and replied, "Sorry, sweetheart. We got caught up in work."

Kiana hummed and forgave her mother quickly. As they broke the hug, she looked at Evelyn’s face, a frown tugging her lips. "You look tired," she said, glaring at her aunt for making Evelyn overwork.

Evelyn chuckled, her heart easing a fraction. "It must be the lack of sleep."

Kiana nodded, a sigh escaping her lips. An idea blinked in her mind and she beamed, "Let me make you some tea! You will feel better."

"Tea?" Evelyn chuckled in amusement.

"Yes! When you were away during vacation, Uncle John taught me." Kiana replied, mentioning their past few days.

Avery leaned against the doorway, watching the mother-daughter duo with a small smile. "Oh! Can you have some too? Thank you!"

"No!" Kiana curtly replied, making her aunt scowl. "It’s only reserved for Mommy." With that, the little girl smiled at her mother one last time before running to the kitchen, with Agatha following behind.

"She is such a brat!" Avery commented, glaring at the little devil. Evelyn chuckled out loud at her expression, making her friend break into a smile. Kiana sure had her way of melting away her worries.

------

The night fell quickly and the house grew silent with Kiana already fast asleep in her room. Evelyn lay awake, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the day’s events like a broken record. The weight of her thoughts returned with a vengeance, her heart in conflict about her little brother. Her Eli!

Just then, The sound of the door opening pulled her from her reverie. Zevian entered, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion, yet his eyes softened the moment they met hers. Without a word, he crossed the room and enveloped her in a tight embrace, burying his face in her neck.

Evelyn smiled faintly, her hands threading through his hair. "You look exhausted."

"Work never ends," he sighed, pulling back slightly to look at her. His thumb brushed against her cheek, his gaze filled with concern. "You haven’t been sleeping."

She shook her head. "I can’t stop thinking about Elias. I just... don’t understand."

Zevian pulled her closer, his warmth seeping into her. "Talk to him," he said softly.

Evelyn blinked, surprised by how easily he had pinpointed her turmoil. "How do you always know what to say?"

He smirked, rolling onto his side to sit beside her. "It’s a gift."

Evelyn chuckled, the sound weak but genuine. "You make it sound so simple."

"Sometimes, it is," he replied. "If you believe he might open up to you, give him the chance. You’ve always had a way with him."

His words settled in her heart, easing some of the tension. She reached for her phone, her fingers hovering over Elias’s contact. After two failed attempts, he finally answered.

"What do you want?" His voice was cold, distant.

"I know you’re pretending," Evelyn said softly, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest. "You want me to hate you, don’t you?"

Elias was silent, the weight of his breathing the only sound on the line.

"No matter how many times you tell me you’ve been fake, that you were pretending to be nice all these years just to destroy me, I won’t believe it. I know you, Eli. I know the real you."

"I don’t care," he replied, but his tone betrayed him—it was too soft, too vulnerable.

Evelyn’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Just tell me the truth. Whatever it is, I’ll stand by you. I promise."

The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words. Then, Elias spoke again, his voice came, cold and final. "I’ll see you in court tomorrow."

The line went dead, and Evelyn stared at the screen, her heart shattering into a million pieces. Zevian pulled her into his arms, his embrace firm and comforting.

"Everything will be fine," he whispered, his lips brushing against her temple. "Don’t worry."

Evelyn nodded, though her heart remained heavy. She snuggled closer to him and together, they drifted into a restless sleep, the weight of the coming day looming over them.

---

[Next Day]

The courtroom buzzed with tension the next morning. The air was thick, the scent of polished wood and freshly printed documents mingling with the palpable anxiety. Evelyn sat beside Lucius, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Sophia entered moments later, her expression pitiful, her lawyer trailing behind her.

As the session began, the opposing lawyer wasted no time. "My client has suffered due to baseless accusations. In fact, we have evidence suggesting that Mrs. Evelyn herself is guilty of not just Annabelle’s murder, but also the maid’s."

The courtroom erupted in murmurs. Evelyn’s heart pounded as the lawyer continued, painting her as a mastermind who had fabricated letters to shift the blame.

Lucius stood, his calm demeanor unwavering. "What if I told you the maid isn’t dead?"

A collective gasp filled the room. Even the judges exchanged startled glances. Sophia’s composure cracked, her eyes widening in horror.

Lucius nodded toward the doors, and two men entered, escorting a trembling Brianna into the courtroom.

Sophia’s face drained of color and Evelyn’s lips curved into a faint smirk. This was just the beginning of her downfall.

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